Polishing-machine.



Patented July 24, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. BUERK.

POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION r|LED1uNE1s,191s.

Patented July 24, 1917.

' Ill/11111111 spas .an t f HANS BUERK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, lASSIGNORT0 THE COLUMBUS DIE, TOOL & MACHINE COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO.

IPOLISHINGMACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Tully 21, 191?.

Application filed J' une 16, 1916. Serial No. 104,078.

10 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HANS BUERK, a c1t1- zen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful 10mprovements in Polishing-Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a polishing machine which is more particularlydesigned for polishing metal articles although the same may also be usedfor polishing articles or other materials. This invention has for itsobject the provision of means which effectively withdraw the dust, grit,lint, etc., from the vicinity of the polishing wheel during thepolishing operation so as to insure the health of the operator, whichmeans are so organized that the same may be readily adjusted to suit thesize of the buiiing or polishing wheel 'employed as well as thecharacter of the article which 1s being polished.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation, partly 1n section, of a polishing orbuling machme embodying my invention. Fig. 2 1s an end elevation of thesame, partly in section, and viewed from the right hand end of themachine. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale,taken on line 3-3, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on thecorrespondingly numbered line in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryvertical longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 5 5,Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on thecorrespondingly numbered line in Fig. 1. s

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

The main frame or base 1 of the machine which supports the variousWorking parts is made hollow and its interior is adapted to.be placed incommunication with an exhausting device of any suitable character forthe purpose of producing a partial vacuum in this frame and the conduitsassociated therewith. This may be accomplished by setting the open lowerend of this frame over a conduit or passage 2 arranged in the floor 3 ofthe building and leading to an exhausting device, or an opening 4 and aninclined rear part 5 of the frame may be connected with this exhaustingdevice by a conduit formed partly by an elbow or angular conduit 6 whichregisters with the opening 4 and may be adjusted into differentpositions around said opening by means of bolts 7 in order to suit thedirection in which the exhaust conduit leads from the base of themachine.

On its upper part the main frame is provided with a pair of bearings 8in which is journaled a horizontal longitudinal arbor or shaft 9 uponopposite ends of which are mounted polishing or buffing wheels 10, 10which may be of any suitable construction such as are now in common usefor this purpose. This shaft and the polishing wheels mounted thereonare turned in the -direction of the arrow in Figs. 1 and 2 by means of adriving belt passing around a driving pulley 12 secured to the shaft 9between its bearings which belt may be shifted upon a loose pulley 11 onthis shaft when it is desired to stop the operation of the machine.

My improvements are represented in this machine in connection with bothof the polishing wheels so that in ei'ect this machine is double, but inthe following description of my improvements associated with one ofthese polishing wheels itI is to be understood that this descriptionapplies to the devices associated with both of said polishing wheels.

13, 13 represent two horizontal supporting arms which are preferablyconstructed in the form of circular tubes so as to serve as exhaustconduits, these arms being arranged horizontally and lengthwise of themachine and secured at their inner opposing ends to the oppositetransverse sides of the main frame by means of bolts 14 or othersuitable means. At their outer ends these tubular supporting arms areclosed, as shown at 15 While their inner ends open into the interior ofthe main y-frame and their front sides are provided with passages oropenings 16 through which dust, dirt, lint, etc., may be withdrawn fromthe vicinity of the polishing wheels and conducted through the tubulararms or conduits '13 into the main frame and thence to the exhaustingdevice connected therewith.

Upon each of these tubular supporting arms is mounted a main suction orexhaust chamber 17 which is arranged below one of the polishing wheels.This exhaust chamber is provided on its lower rear part with a tubularhub 18 through which the outer part of one of the exhaust conduits 13projects from side to side and lnto which the passage 16 of this conduitopens so that the interior of the exhaust chamber is placed incommunication with this exhaust conduit, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Theexhaust vchamber is held against rotation on this exhaust conduit but isfree to be adjusted by means of a screw 19 engaging with a threadedopening in the rear part of the respective exhaust chamber hub andhaving an unthreaded inner part 20 engaging with a longitudinal slot 21in the rear part of the companion exhaust conduit, as shown in Figs. 3and 4. The exhaust chamber 1s provided in its upper front part with aninlet openin which communicates with the space immediately below thebuiiing or polishing wheel and on its front part it is provided with anextension 22 which is capable of adjustment forwardly and hackwardlyatan angle relative to the main frame or body of the exhaust chamber forthe purpose of adapting the same to polishing wheels of differentdiameter and also to the character of the work which is being operatedupon. This extension is of substantially U-shaped form in cross sectionand bears with its inclined bottom 23 on the adjacent inclined bottomportion 24 of the exhaust chamber while its side walls 25 projectupwardly from opposite ends of the bottom 23 within the adjacent part oftheside walls 61 of the exhaust chamber. Upon sliding extensionbackwardly or forwardly the inlet ca acity of the exhaust chamber foreand all-)t of ythe machine in the plane of the bufling wheel.

may be varied to suit requirements. This extension may be held in itsadjusted position in any suitable manner, for instance by the meanswhich are shown, in the drawings and which comprise a clamping bolt 26arranged on the bottom of the extension and projecting through a slot 27in the bottom of the exhaust chamber and provided with a wing nut 28bearin against the underside of the exhaust cham er, as shown in Figs.1, 2, 3 and 5.

In order to ermit of conveniently cleaning out any dlrt, grit, lint,etc., which may become caught in the lower part of the exhaust chamberand accumulate near the same a clean-out opening 29 is provided in thelower front part of the exhaust chamber through which access may be hadto the adjacent part of this chamber for cleaning urposes. This openingis normally closed y means of a door, lid or gate 30 which is pivoted bymeans of a hinge 31 at its lower end to the lower side of the exhaustchamber. While in its operative position this door is swung upwardly andbackwardly ,away rom the same and carried oi through the exhaustchamber, exhaust conduit and main frame to the exhaust device. This hoodis preferably constructed of a plurality of sections so that the samemay be folded more or less and a greater or lesser number of itssections used during the operation of polishing in accordance with thecharacter of the article or work which is being done.

As'shown in the drawings, this hood com-v prises a lower section 32which incloses the lower rear part of the buiiing' wheel vand opens atits lower end into the upper end of the exhaust chamber, an intermediatesection 33 which incloses the upper rear part of the polishing wheel andcommunicates at its lower end with the upper end of the lowerhood-section, and an upper section 35 which incloses the upper part ofthe polishing wheel and the adjacent part of the intermediate sectionand communicates on .its underside with the latter. Thelower hoodsection is pivoted with its lower rear part to the upper part of theexhaust chamber by means of a horizontal longitudinal hinge 34 wherebythis lower hood section may be swun forwardly and backwardly into andout o its operative position relatively to the polishing wheel. While inits forward position the lower hood section may be detachably connectedwith the exhaust chamber, preferably by means of a catch comprising alocking pin 36 projecting laterally from the lower front part of one ofthe side walls of the lowermost hood section, a locking bolt 37 arrangedin a guideway 38 on the adjacent side wall of the exhaust chamber andengaging its front end to the locking pin 36 and provided at its rearend withv a handle 39 and a spring 40 arranged in the 38 and yieldinglyholding the loc 'ng bolt in engagement with the locking pin 36, as shownin Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

The lower hood section preferably extends upwardly to a horizontal linepassing through the axis of the polishing wheel and in its lower rearpart this lower hood sec tion is provided with an upright `curvedpartition 41 vwhich terminates at its upper `end short of the upper endof this hood iideway ber, thereby forming an inner passageway 42 betweenthe upper part of this partition and the adjacent peripheral part of thepolishing wheel, an outer passageway 43 extending downwardly from theupper end of the inner passageway 42 to the upper part of the exhaustchamber to the top of the exhaust chamber, and a lower passageway 60extending from the lower part of the periphery of the polishing wheel tothe lower part of the exhaust chamber, as best shown ,in Fig. 3. .Theupper part of the lower hood section is fitted quite close to theadjacent surfaces of the polishing .wheel for the purpose of reducing toa mmimum communication between the intermediate hood section and thelower hood sectlon on the `its axis arranged horizontally andlengthwiseJ of the machine so that the intermediate hood section may beswung forwardly and backwardly into and out of lts operatlve polsitionrelatively to the polishing wheel.

This intermediate section is detachably held in place relative to thelower hood section by means of a` catch which preferably is constructedlike that arranged between the lower hood section and the exhaustchamber and which comprises a locking pin 45 projecting laterally fromone of the slde walls of the intermediate hood sectlon, a locking bolt46 arranged in a guideway 47 on the adjacent side wall of the lower hoodsection and engaging its front end with the locking pin 45 and a spring48 arranged 1n the guideway 47 and operating to hold the locking bolt inengagement with the pin 45, as shown in Fig. 2. l

|The upper hood section 1s capable of being swung forwardly andrearwardly on the intermediate hood section for the purpose of closingthe gap between the top of the polishing wheel and the intermediate hoodsection more or less in accordance with the character of the work whichis being done and also the size of the polishing wheel which is beingused. For this purpose the axis about which the upper hood sectionswings is of less radius than the polishing wheel and the axis of theupper hood section is arranged above the arbor 9, as shown in Figs. land .2. The pivotal connection between the upper h ood section and theintermediate hood section preferably comprises two horizontallongitudinal pins 49,. 49 projeeting inwardly from the lower ends of theside walls of this hood section and engaging with upright guideways 50,50 in the adjacent parts of the side walls of the intermediate hoodsection, and springs 5I, 51, ar-

ranged in these guidcways and bearing against the upper sides of thepivot pins 49. On the underside of its curved top 52-the upper headsection is provided with a segmental row of locking teeth 53 preferablyof ratchet form one or the other of which is adapted to engage with alocking tooth 54 arranged on the upper front part of the intermediatehood section, the engagement of one or the other of the upper teeth 53on the upper hood section with the lower tooth 54 of the intermediatesection being effected by gravity vaided by the pressure of the springs5l whereby the upper hood section is reliably held in its adjustedposition. 11V hen it is desired to shift the upper hood section fore oraft the same is lifted by means of a handle 55 applied to the topthereof until its operative upper tooth is disengaged from the lowerlocking tooth of the intermediate hood section during which time thesprings 51 are flexed. While the teeth 53 are thus disengaged the uppersection may be swung forwardly and backwardly to the desired positionrelatively to the polishing wheel and the intermediate hood section andupon then lowering the upper hood section so that another one of itsteeth 53 engages the locking tooth 54 the same will be held in thisshifted position by gravity together with the pressure of the springs51. 1n order to permit one or the other of the hoods to be cut off fromthe suction or exhausting device where it is not desired to use both ofthem this may be done by a valve 56 arranged in the exhaust conduit andoperable by a handle 57 so that this valve either closes or opens thisconduit.

In the operation of this polishing machine the several sections of thehood may all be used to their maximum yextent in which they inclose theupper, rear and lower parts of the polishing wheel, as shown by fulllines in Figs. 2 and 3. As the polishing wheel wears awa-y so that itsdiameter is reduced the upper hood section may be swung forwardly anddownwardly so as to close the gap between the periphery of the polishingwheel and the hood to the desired extent. By swinging the upper hoodsection backwardly on the intermediate hood section and swinging theintermediate hood section back- Wardly on the lower hood section andalso swinging the lower hood section backwardly on the exhaust chamber agreater lor lesser number of these sections may be employed as desiredand the several sections can also be moved into such a position whichwill permit the easy and convenient removal of the polishing wheel fromthe arbor and the substitution therefor of another wheel either forrenewing a wheel which has become worn outor for changing the characterof the wheel which is used according to the work in hand.

Between the upper rear part of the polishing wheel and the upper andrear parts of the hood is arranged a shield 58 which is preferably`curved concentrically vwith the polishing wheel and pivotally mountedat its lower end on the pintle of the hinge which connects theintermediate and lower hood sections. By means of this shield the upperand intermediate hood sections may be swung rearwardly into theirinoperative position while still retaining the shield over theperipheral upper and rear parts of the polishing wheel and therebyprevent dust, dirt, or lint from flying upwardly into the face of theoperator when doing certain kinds of polishing work which, however, d0not require the use of the full exhausting effect of the hood. When thisshield is not required for use the same may also be swung rearwardlytogether with the upper and intermediate hood sections.

In the rear part of the hood, preferably in the peripheral wall of theintermediate section thereof, the same is vprovided with a vent opening59 which is arranged at a distance from the upper end of the inner andouter passages 42, 43. This Vent opening 59 permits the pure externalair to enter the upper rear part of the hood so as to break the vacuumor suction adjacent to the periphery of the polishing wheel, therebypreventing the discharge of dust, grit and lint into the face of theoperator and insuring carrying this material away by the exhaust deviceso that the o erator is not liable to breathe the same. rdinarily therotation of a buiiing wheel causes a circular body or zone of air to beconstantly whirled around adjacent to the periphery of the wheel byreason of the frictional contact therewith and a part of this air ladenwith dust, grit and lint would fly off from the front part of the wheelwhere the same would be inhaled by the operator and inr juriously affecthis health. In the present construction a part of the dust laden airwhich moves downwardly on the front side of the polishing wheel afterperforming the polishing operation on the workpiece is carried directlythrough the lower passage 60 into the exhaust chamber while another partis carried rearwardly and upwardly along the lower rear part of thepolishing wheel though the inner passage 42 until it reaches the upperend of the outer passage 43 where the same is forcibly drawn downwardlyby the counter current of air in this outer pas- I sage to the exhaustchamber. After the periphery of the wheel passes above the axis of thesaine a suction effect is exerted by the periphery-of the wheels on theexternal pure air entering the hood through the`vent opening 59 wherebythis air is carried forwardly and downwardly to the working part of thepolishing wheel on the front side thereof in- 65 stead of dragcing someof the dust laden lair to this position and delivering it inthe vicinityof the operator as has been customary heretofore. If there is any leakbetween the rear part of the polishing wheel and the upper end of thelower hood section and the lower end of the intermediate section a smallquantity of the pure air entering through the vent opening 59 will bedrawn downwardly into the rear exhaust passage 43 and to the exhaustdevice, thereby effectually guarding against the delivery of any airladen with dust, lint or the like to the operator andv insuring adischarge at this place of only pure air whichfis free from thesedeleterious ingredients.

It will be noted that a normally neutral region is by this means formedon the periphery of the polishing wheel adjacent to the vent opening atwhich the circular zone or current of air adjacent to the periphery ofthe polishing wheel divides, one branch of which is pure and passesupwardly and forwardly over the top of the polishing wheel while theother branchv carrying possible impurities passes downwardly on the rearside of the wheel opposite to the direction of rotation and both ofthese branches leading to the exhaust chamber and conduit with which theexhaust device is connected. This apparatus is therefore very sanitaryand permits an operator to perform the usual buiing or polishingoperation without impairing his health. Furthermore, this result isaccomplished by means which are exceedingly simple and inexpensive andnot liable to get out of order.

I claim as my invention:

1. A polishing machine comprising a rotary polishing wheel,\ and a hoodinclosing the rear part of said wheel and provided in its rear part'with an air inlet opening and adapted to be connected with an exhaustingdevice. i

2. A polishing machine comprising a rotary polishing wheel, and va hoodinclosing the upper, rear and lower parts of said wheel while leavingthe front part exposed and the rear part ofsaid hood being provided withan air inlet opening and its lower part being adapted to be connectedwith an exhaust device. Y

3. A polishing machine comprising a rotary polishing wheel, a hoodinclosing the upper, rear and lower parts of said wheel while leavingthe front part thereof exposed and said hood being provided in its rearpart with an air inlet and also with an auxiliaryv exhaust conduitextending from the rear part of said hood downwardly, and a main.

exhaust conduit communicating with the lower end of said auxiliaryconduit. y 4. A polishing machine comprising a rotary polishing wheel,and a hood inclosing part ofsaid. Wheel and adapted to be connected withan exhaust device and comprising a lower section pivoted to swingvertically on a fixed support, an intermediate section pivoted to swingvertically on the lower section, and an upper section pivoted to swingvertically on said intermediate section. y

5. A polishing machine comprising a rotary polishing wheel, and a hoodinclosing part of said wheel and adapted to be connected with an exhaustdevice and comprising a plurality of pivotally connected sections, and ashield extending from the rear part of the wheel forwardly and upwardlyover the top of the same and pivoted at its lower rear endconcentrically with the pivotal connection between 'two adjacent hoodsections.

6. A polishing machine comprising a rotary polishing wheel, and a hoodinclosing part of said wheel and comprising a rear section extendingover the rear part of the wheel and a top section extending over the topof the wheel, and means for adjusting said top section.circumferentially relatively7` to said rear section comprising a loweradjusting tooth projecting upwardly from said rear hood section,accircumferentia'l row of upper adjusting teeth projecting downwardlyfrom said top hood section and one or the other of which is adapted toengage with said lower tooth, guideways arranged on opposite sides ofsaid rear hood section, pins arranged on opposite sides of said top hoodsection and engaging with said guideways, and springs arranged in saidguideways and bearing downwardly on said pins.

7. A polishing machine comprising a rotary polishing wheel, a hoodinclosing part of said wheel and comprising a plurality of sectionswhich are pivotally connected and adapted to be swung into and out oftheir operative position, and a catch for holding said hood sections intheir operative position comprising a locking pin projecting laterallyfrom one of said hood sections, a guideway arranged on the other hoodsection, a locking bolt sliding in said guideway and adapted to engagesaid locking pin, and a spring for holding said locking bolt yieldinglyin its operative position.

8. A polishing machine comprising a polishing Wheel, an exhaust chamberarranged below said wheel and adapted to be connected with an exhaustdevice, and a hood inclosing part of said wheel and comprising a lowersection pivoted on said chamber, and a rear section pivoted on saidlower section.

9. A polishing machine comprising a polishing wheel, an exhaust chamberarranged below said wheel and adapted to be connected with an exhaustdevice, and a hood inclosing part of said Wheel and'comprising a lowersection pivoted on said chamber, a rear section pivoted on said lowersection and an upper section pivoted on said rear section.

10. A polishing machine comprising a polishing wheel, an exhaust`chamber arranged below said wheel, and adapted to be connected with anexhaust device and having an inlet on its upper side, a hood inclosingpart of said wheel and opening at its lower end into the inlet of saidexhaust chamber and a scoop or pan projecting from the inlet of saidchamber underneath said 11. A polishing machine comprising a polishingwheel, an exhaust chamber arranged below said wheel, and adapted to beconnected with an exhaust device and having an inlet on its upper side,a hood inclosing part of said Wheel and opening at its lower end intothe inlet of said exhaust chamber, a scoop or pan projecting from theinlet of said chamber underneath said wheel and means for adjustablyconnecting said scoop and chamber.

12. A polishing machine comprising aI polishing wheel, an exhaustchamber arranged below said Wheel, and adapted to be connected with anexhaust device and having an inlet on its upper side, a hood inclosingpart of said wheel'and opening ng its lower end into the inlet of saidexhaust chamber, a scoop or pan projecting from the inlet of saidchamber underneath said wheel and means for adjustably connecting saidscoop and chamber comprising a clamping bolt arranged on thel scoop andpassing through a slot in said chamber.

13. A polishing machine comprising a polishing wheel, an exhaust conduitadapted to be connected with an exhaust device and provided with aninlet opening, an exhaust chamber through which said conduit projectsand which communicates with said conduit through said opening, and ahood partly inclosing said wheel an'd communi- -cating with saidchamber. I

14. A polishing machine comprising a polishing Wheel, an exhaust conduitadapted to be connected with an exhaust device and provided with aninlet opening, an exhaust chamber through which said conduit projectsand which communicates with said conduit through said opening, a hoodpartly inclosing said wheel and communicating with said chamber andmeans for holding said chamber against turning on said conduit.

v 15. A polishing machine comprising a polishing wheel, an exhaustconduit adapted to be connected with an exhaust device and provided withan inlet opening, an exhaust chamber through which said conduitproconduit through said opening,

jcctc ccd which ccmmuniccccc with scid a hood partly inclosing sai wheeland communicating with said chamber and means for hnlding hollow frameadapted t0 be connected with' an exhaust device, tabl y p con uitconnected with said frame, ary'exhaust chamber mounted on said conduitand a polishing wheel rotamounted on sald frame, an exhaustcommunicatingtherewith, and a hood part-1y inclosing said wheel and communicatingwith said chamber. e A 17. A -polishingpmachine comprising a hollowframe adapted to be connected with an? exhaust device, a polishing wheelrotatabl mounted on said frame, an. exhaust v con uitsconn'ected withsaid 'frameyan exhaust chamber mounted on said conduit andcommunicatingl therewith, a hood partly .nclosing said w eel andcommunicating with said chamber and a valve arranged in said conduitbetween said chamber and frame. p c' HANS BUERK.

